Quoting Jfk777 (Reply 3):JFK daily and in the winter sunny Miami. I never have understood there HUGE Asian map but small North American map ?

Finnair carries a lot of connecting passengers, flying Europe-Asia via Helsinki. HEL has a perfect location for a hub between Europe and Asia, so they have a good competitive advantage to be a serious player in the Europe-Asia market.

On the other hand, they do not fulfill this role for the Europe-North america market, as it will require a lot of backtracking. Therefore, the North America flights are running on local demand and some connecting pax from the Baltics or Russia, but that's about it. Therefore, only flights to the most obvious destinations.

Quoting Jfk777 (Reply 3):I never have understood there HUGE Asian map but small North American map ?

Having visited Finland more than once, I had the impression they don't find the US very attractive, but this is just an impression of mine, I don't want anybody to get offended. So they just concentrate on a different market, like the asian one, that is more profitable for their economy and where there's more room for them. I know Finnair follows Nokia closely and Nokia, which is maybe one of the most widely known Finnish brands in the world, has more relations with asian countries than it has with the US.

About time...! MAN, that routing via Skavsta was STRANGE!! Never got it.. Btw YYZ and BOS - as previously mentioned in this thread - are served by 757's, but not only that, these a/c are in high-density Y216 config for a 752. Obviously, AY is targeting the O and D leisure market with these flights; keeping them fairly seperate from their other intercon IIRC.

Quoting Eastern023 (Reply 9):I wonder if IAD would be profitable for them. Specially with the Asia connections.

AY's JFK service is not really there to support the Asian network; rather it's there to offer connections to the US via JFK (on AA) and of course JFK itself (if AY didn't do it, CO or AA would). You can also see this from the timings of the US flights, that don't match the bank of Asian flights in the afternoon. So, basically an IAD service should "stand on its own" for a large part, and that's not viable, also considering that pax it would cannibalize from JFK-HEL.

Quoting Wingedarrow (Reply 12):I know Finnair follows Nokia closely and Nokia, which is maybe one of the most widely known Finnish brands in the world, has more relations with asian countries than it has with the US.

But as pointed out in another AY-related thread out there, AY doesn't make it's schedule according to whatever Nokia is doing! Nokia IS by far the most valuable Finnish brand, and no doubt a major AY customer and supporter of Asian routes - but still, despite of the size you don't see Nokia booking half of every MD11. AY's main customers for their long-haul also don't originate in HEL, but in Europe or Asia.

So much talk about AY here, wanna try them and their MD11's!!!

Kevin777

"I was waiting for you at DFW, but you must have been in LUV" CPH-HAM-CPH CR9

I wouldn't be so sure... I'm only kidding, of course, mine was just an example to explain the Finnish interest to the east side of the world, they wouldn't keep on opening new routes in Asia if they weren't more than sure to be supported by the country's more important companies.

Anyway, as you said, Finnair customers are European and Asian mainly and they're happy with this, because they're siding the growth of two of the most important markets in the world - China and India - so that's only obvious if they don't care about the already inflated and swinging US market.

I never flew their MD11s, but the service they offer on the A320 family is one of the best in the world!!! Hyvaa matkaa!!!

Quoting Jfk777 (Reply 18):Finnair's Intercontinental ops are with an Asian heart. Their MD-11's know Narita and Bangkok like second homes. China is big too.

Even though BKK is twice daily, it's the only scheduled destination in Thailand (HKT is a charter route). China is the by far the biggest destination (coutry-wise) for AY: PEK, PVG, CAN & HKG. In the summer schedule, on some days, all of these four Chinese flights leave HEL within 60 minutes!

Quoting UpperDeck79 (Reply 21):PEK, PVG, CAN & HKG. In the summer schedule, on some days, all of these four Chinese flights leave HEL within 60 minutes!

That is just so cool!!!

Quoting UpperDeck79 (Reply 21):Exactly, since it's a charter route, not a scheduled destination.

Yep. Never really got that route though - unsched to Boston via Stockholm (ARN) (and first NYO?!?!?). Is there some special relations between Finland/Sweden and Boston or?? Is the traffic maybe siginificantly originating in BOS or..?? What I am missing..???!!

Kevin777

"I was waiting for you at DFW, but you must have been in LUV" CPH-HAM-CPH CR9

Quoting Kevin777 (Reply 22):Yep. Never really got that route though - unsched to Boston via Stockholm (ARN) (and first NYO?!?!?). Is there some special relations between Finland/Sweden and Boston or?? Is the traffic maybe siginificantly originating in BOS or..?? What I am missing..???!!

I don't really get it either. But I guess it's just due to the fact that Europe-USA/Canada traffic is very high in the summer...

I've taken the AYJFK-HEL service quite often. Before the new J seats were installed, Finnair reminded me of the old Swissair. First rate service, seats were OK but not stunning, IFE was very good. Of course they've upgraded the seats since I last flew them.

My understanding from several execs at AY, JFK is mainly a political route. Meaning, they want to keep a presence in American and New York is the only logical city. Although the big Nokia offices in the US are in Dallas. The route is break even at best, however the freight traffic makes the flight more palatable. They do carry quite a bit of Baltic and Russian traffic on the flights. I even remember the cabin crew informing the passengers in Russian and English on push back from JFK that "duty free alcohol" was not to be consumed in flight. Quite funny.

Asia is an extremely logical growth strategy for them. The flights to India may even make the JFK flight more promising since transiting FRA or HEL is not much difference. SK has always been the neighboring menace, but AY has carved out a very nice niche market for themselves. Coupled with great service and reliability, they are a first class carrier.